Yu Yu Hakusho Blossom
by Gemini Star01
Summary: When Yusuke decides it's time to find an apprentance, everyone's sure his grandson, Mamoru, is a sure-fire winner. But there's a wildcard: a red-haired vixen with powers even she is only begining to understand! (I think I got the real Ch. this time...)
1. Prolouge: Grandpa Fox

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This just popped into my head while I was watching the episode where Genkai starts giving Yusuke the Spirit Wave Orb. Right before she does that, she tells him that she just 'had a need' that her 'power would always exist'. It made me wonder if Yusuke would carry that on. Then I wondered, if he did carry it on, who too? And from those various wonderings came…this. Kinda cool, huh?

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Yu Yu Hakusho characters. There's a whole bunch of legal stuff to go in with that and its all very confusing, so I won't go into it. It is only the prologue, after all, people.

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Yu Yu Hakusho - Blossom

Prologue: Grandpa Fox

Kurama glance out the window at the sunlight filtering inward onto the stark white sheets of his bed. He gently touched a glossy green leaf of one of the many plants sitting around him, then ran his fingers ran calmly through his hair. The long mane was nowhere near as thick as it once was, it had thinned considerably and now contained only a few paling red streaks in a sea of white.

He smiled sleepily at the yellowing photograph by his bed. It was well over sixty years old. His fifteen-year-old self was standing at the far left, eyes shining in a way they hadn't for years. Kuwabara was beside him with one arm raised in a fighting stance, Hiei in front of him with both hands stuffed in his pockets and usual smirk-like smile on his face. Yusuke was in the direct center, hair down in his face, with Keiko's arm around his waist. Botan was beside Keiko and Koenma, as a teenager, was behind Botan.

His smile widened a bit. Shizuru had taken that picture just after the first match of the Dark Tournament. It reminded him of times long gone past. It didn't seam quite that long, somehow…Sixty years…

"Hn. Going down memory lane again, fox?"

At the familiar voice, Kurama's eyes turned towards the window. Hiei sat silently on the sill, legs dangling over the side. His old friend hadn't aged a bit, and neither his power or his dislike of other creatures hadn't faded in the decades since their fighting days. It was just like him to appear unannounced, without informing the staff downstairs.

Kurama smiled wearily, sitting up to greet him. "Good day, Hiei." he whispered, the voice of a tired old man escaping his lips.

"Don't push yourself." Hiei stepped down from the window, stopping next to his partner's bedside. His voice had taken on the calm, caring tone he only used with his aging partner, or Yukina. "From the looks of it, you need your rest."

"I'm not worried." Kurama sighed, leaning back against the not-very-reclined hospital bed. "You feel it as well as I do, this body can't last much longer. I might as well get it over with as soon as possible."

"Fine. Be stubborn." Hiei sighed. He sounded a bit worried, slightly unnatural for him. "…… It's just like you not to be afraid."

"I've died before." Kurama sighed. "It's not as hard as it looks. Besides…it won't be the end of Kurama. Just of Shuuichi."

The green eyes widened a bit, then his voice dropped to a whisper. "You better go. My family's coming."

"How do you know that?" Hiei asked, surprised. The fox's enhanced senses had dulled as he grew older, and there was never anything distinct to feel from any of his human offspring. His daughter had always been purely human, with enhanced sixth sense, yes, but pure human.

"Kura's telling me." Kurama smiled. "She says they're almost through talking to the nurses and should be up in a couple of minutes."

Hiei blinked a moment before realizing he was talking about Sakura. Kurama's _granddaughter._ But that was impossible, the girl was barely nine! 

"She's already mastered her psychic abilities better than Shiori was ever able too." Kurama's daughter was named, naturally, after his own mother. "She can send telepathic messages better than any I've ever seen. It's possible the demon blood has seeped into her, rather than her mother."

"Fine then." Hiei shrugged, swinging his leg back outside the window. He paused a moment, then turned back to his old partner. "How long…?"

"…Tonight, at the most." the tired voice came. Hiei nodded, then jumped from the window to a near-by tree branch just as the door began to open.

"Grampa!" an excited voice came from it.

Kurama looked down, smiling at the little girl as she scrambled, smiling, to his bedside. She had two vibrant red pigtails and large, dark eyes that were more yellow-jade green than the pure forest of his own. She really was a beautiful child.

"Hi-hi grampa!" she laughed, bouncing up on the balls of her feet.

"Now Sakura." her mother chastised. Her dark red hair was bound up in a bun. "Remember what we talked about? Grandpa needs his rest."

Sakura dropped back down, groaning a bit in disappointment. Kurama smiled a bit, then leaned down and scooped the child up, off her feet, and onto the bed with him.

"How's my Kura-chan?" he asked with a laugh, tickling the already giggling girl under the chin. He pulled a rose out of a near-by bouquet and handed it to her.

"Fine, Grampa." she smiled, tucking the flower into her belt.

"Oh, dad." Shiori sighed, putting down her bag. She leaned over and kissed her father on the cheek. "Don't you ever know when to take it easy?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't." Kurama grinned at his daughter.

A white-coated doctor came in and tapped Shiori on the shoulder. As they exited the room, Sakura tugged on her grandfather's sleeve. "Grampa, can you tell me a story?" she begged.

Kurama smiled. His 'stories' were mostly tales of the Spirit World an his days in the Reikai Taneti. Of course, he had changed a few things. It wasn't actually him doing all these things, it was a character he'd called Kori, a word for foxes, and had changed the other's names as well. He'd hidden his demon identify from his human family too long to reveal it now. If Sakura became involved with it all, she'd find out soon enough…

"Alright then, Kura." he patted her on the head, using her old baby-nickname. "Which one do you wanna hear?"

"The first one!" Sakura urged. "You know, when Ura-chan's trying to get the treasures back, the first time he meet Kori face-to-face!"

"Okay then…" Kurama leaned back against the bed in thought, pulling Kura closer. "You must know it better than I do by now…_Kori_, little fox, was an ancient fox-spirit known as a youko…Now youkos were special, because…"

"'Cause only foxes who lived a full century could become 'em." Sakura repeated by heart.

Shiori looked into her father's room as the little girl laughed along with the story. Smiling quietly, she turned back to the doctor, who was examining a clipboard. "Well, Ms. Koubai…" he sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "He's actually doing quite well for his age…"

"That's good." Shiori sighed.

"However…A seventy-five year old man is still unpredictable, even in the best of conditions." he continued. "I suggest we keep him here another day or two, to make sure he doesn't have another attack, then he should be free to go home."

"Two days…" Shiori muttered, looking in again. "I wonder if it's wise…to take him out of here, even then…"

~ * ~ * ~

Sakura woke that night to a cold chill. The girl sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Why…is my window open?" she wondered out loud, getting up to close it.

Just as her hand touched the latch, she stopped. She took a step back, eyes widening in shock. Stepping smoothly and easily through the open window came a sleek, silver fox.

It was easily the most gorgeous thing Sakura had ever seen. Unusually large, it came up to her waist when it sat straight up. Its eyes were a beautiful, deep gold and its fur was thick and shiny silver.

She was not frightened by it, rather, somehow, it filled her with a strange, fulfilling clam. She crouched down to look at it closely, holding her hand out. The fox leaned forward and pressed its warm, wet nose to her palm. Gently, very gently, it rubbed up against her so that her hand ran through its thick, warm fur.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked quietly, petting it gently. "You feel…familiar…"

She closed her eyes a moment. When she opened them again, the fox had disappeared out of her grasp. But she knew what it meant now.

"Mama…"

Shiori looked up from her book. Sakura was standing in front of her, eyes filled with tears and hiccupping with sobs. "Sakura, what's wrong?" the mother gasped, setting down her book as the telephone rang. "Come here, honey, what's the matter?"

"Grampa's gone." Sakura sobbed, letting herself be folded into her mother's arms. "Grampa's gone…he's dead!"

Shiori gasped, pulling her daughter close. "Oh, no honey…" she whispered soothingly, running her hands through the girl's hair. "It was just a dream, dear…a nightmare. Grampa's fine, he just needs to rest…"

"No…He's dead!" Sakura cried wildly. "He's gone, I know, he's…"

"Shiori." she looked up. It was Minoru, her husband, eyes wide and the phone in one hand. "The hospital just called. Your father…he had a heart attack a couple of hours ago. They couldn't stop it…Shiori, he's dead."

Sakura hiccupped again, burying her face in her mother's shirt. Shiori gaped a moment, staring at her daughter in wonder. _"How…How did she know? …How?"_

Prologue ends. It'll pick up a bit more in the next chapter, I was just setting the scene, okay? And, in case you're wondering, Koubai would be Sakura's father's last name, so Kurama's daughter Shiori Minamino would become Mrs. Shiori Koubai. Next chapter should be up soon…

*~GS~*


	2. Earth and Cherry Blossoms

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…Why do I keep writing this? I should be trying to do something on my Digimon fics…getting some of them finished…but I just can't!!! *my muse hast gone mad…It's totally YYH focused at the moment*

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Disclaimer: I don't own and of the original YYH characters. Anything you don't recognize most likely belongs to me.

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Yu Yu Hakusho - Blossom

Chapter 1: Earth and Cherry Blossoms

"Class…Class, attention, please!"

Mamoru brushed dust of the blue jacket of his school uniform. He mostly complied to the dress code, but often left the tight garuken un-buttoned to show the white shirt underneath. He brushed loose, dark brown hair back from his brown eyes. When he was younger the fifteen-year-old had tried to grease it up in the same style as his grandfather, but even since he flunked a grade and was forced to take his first year of middle school over again, his mother hadn't put up with anything that made him a 'tough-guy.' He'd managed to do well afterwards and was in his 2nd year now, at Sarayashiki. _(A/N - Same year as Yusuke at the beginning of the show)_

He was a fighter, but forced into being an okay student by his mother. His mother was like Grandmother Keiko, but his father was a combination of the two, a good student and a good fighter. He was a police officer. His grandfather, an old and powerful fighter, currently lived at an old temple, training. Grandmother lived with him, of course, but did cooking and cleaning rather than his training.

"Quiet down!" the teacher exclaimed, exasperated. The class grew quiet as Mamoru pulled out of his thoughts. The teacher sighed, then cleared his throat. "Thank you. Now before we begin today, I'd like to introduce a new student…"

The door slid open and the new kid stepped in. Mamoru looked up, and blinked in surprise as many of the guys around him started to whistle.

It was a girl, wearing the usual uniform and clutching a schoolbag shyly in front of her. There was a red rose sticking out of the black bag that matched her hair, long and straight red, pulled back in a modest ponytail at the base of her neck. Her skin was very pale, yet with a rosy tint in the cheeks, and her eyes were a bright jade-green. She smiled shyly out at the class, shifting her weight as some of the boys whistled and made other gestures.

"Settle down." the teacher called and they quieted. She turned and smiled at the girl. "Introduce yourself, dear."

"Yes ma'am." she whispered quietly, bowing slightly to the class. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Sakura…Sakura Koubai."

"Flowery name." Mamoru whispered under his breath. Maybe that explained the rose.

"Sakura has just moved here from Sapporo." the teacher continued. "I'd like you all to welcome her and make this move a pleasant one. Now, Sakura, you'll be sitting in that empty desk next to Mamoru."

Sakura nodded, then moved through the desks to her seat. She was very graceful, almost like she was dancing as she slid into the chair. Mamoru noted how she held her head high, but in a very humble fashion, and she almost immediately pulled a flower-pattered spiral notebook out of her bag. It was open and ready in front of her, pen all set to take notes. So…she was a goody-goody top-student type, like his younger cousin Akane. That could be an advantage…

The teacher began her lesson, but several of the boys still kept glancing back at the new girl. Most of the girls were glaring at their boyfriends or holding back rage as their crushes showed interest in another girl. Sakura, somehow, didn't notice and was calmly scribbling down perfectly-written notes.

"Hmph. Show-off." Mamoru heard a girl behind him mutter. It was true, she did seam a little too…perfect. But there was also something strange about her…Something he didn't quite understand

~ * ~ * ~

"'Kaasan, I'm home!" Mamoru shouted, kicking his shoes off in the hall. He tossed his schoolbag to the side and walked through the apartment towards the kitchen.

A cat rubbed up against his legs, he stopped a moment to stroke it then shoo it away. He entered the kitchen, where his brown-haired mother, Meilu Urameshi, was busy spicing the side of meat they were having for dinner that night. She didn't look up as he entered. "Hello, Mamoru, dear." she smiled. "How was your day?"

"Not bad." the son shrugged, taking an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. 

As he bit into the juicy, crunchy flesh of the apple he felt a sharp tug on his pants leg. "Ni-san! Ni-san!" a high-pitched voice squeaked up at him.

Mamoru leaned down, picking up the little blonde-haired two-year old. "Hello, Miho." he laughed, kissing his sister on the cheek.

"Kochiwa! Kochiwa!" Miho cheered, wrapping her arms around her older brother's neck.

Meilu laughed as her son gave her a quizzical glance. "She means 'Konichiwa'. Just learned it this morning, and I can't get her to stop saying it."

"Kochiwa! Kochiwa!" the girl cheered again, spilling her cup of cereal into Mamoru's hair. "Kochiwa, ni-san, kochiwa!

"Okay, okay." Mamoru set her down on the floor, patting her on the head. "Konichiwa to you to, Imoto-san."

Miho grinned up at him, then ran over to play with the family dog, still chanting "Kochiwa, kochiwa…" as she went.

Mamoru sighed, brushing cheerios out of his hair, turning for the stairs. "I'm gonna head upstairs."

"Make sure you study, dear." Meilu called as he headed up. "Oh…and by the way. A letter arrived for you today, from your grandfather. It's on the counter, if you want it."

Mamoru froze a moment, one leg up to climb the next stair, then leapt back down and snatched the letter off the tile surface. Yes, this was _definitely_ from his grandfather, his ojee-san, he recognized the thick, parchment-like envelope he like to write on for the effect it gave.

He scrambled back up the stairs, locking the door to his room behind him as he rushed in. Whenever his grandfather wrote, it was always big news for him, usually some new kind of special training his parents had no idea he did. He's already mastered some simple moves, like being able to sense and identify familiar Spirit Energies, but he'd even manage to partially master his grandfather's favorite technique: the Spirit Gun.

Yes. This letter held excitement in every word. And he didn't want to miss a second of it.

~ * ~ * ~

"I'm home!" Sakura called as she entered, gently toeing off her shoes in the foyer. When she heard no answer, neither from her mother or her father, nor her mother, she began to explore the house.

"Kaasan? Tousan?" she called, entering the kitchen. No. It was a new house, no one was here.

A scribbled note on the counter caught her eyes. She picked it up, recognizing her mother's handwriting at once.

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Sakura-chan,

We'll be working late tonight, getting settled into these new jobs. There's dinner in the fridge, warm yourself up some Oden. Be home by 10. Lots of love.

Sakura sighed. She hadn't really be expecting anyone. New school, new home… same work-a-holic family. They wouldn't be home until she went to bed, not this first week, and sometimes she preferred it that way.

She began up the stairs to her room, pulling at the yellow neckerchief under her collar. She wore the uniform to comply with school rules, but she detested it so. It left her throat bare. Most of the clothes she wore had an elegant Chinese style, and most with a high mandarin collar. She was too used to that extra warmth, the lower-cut sailor collar of her school uniform made her feel…exposed…She wore t-shirts sometimes, or collared shirts that were slightly unbuttoned to reveal her throat, but only with jackets or wraps that she could pull around her when she got nervous.

Her thoughts slipped to that as she pulled an outfit out of the closet, beginning to put it on. Come to think of it, why did she hate having her throat exposed? It wasn't like anyone was gonna jump out and slit it or anything…

She let out a strangled gasp, snapping her head up as she buttoned the strap on her outfit. She felt something…an energy pattern, in the attic. It was familiar, but at the same time it panicked. Somehow it just didn't feel human…

Sakura yanked the ladder to the attic down, scrambling up the steps. They'd only been in the house a week, but it was stacked with boxes they hadn't unpacked yet. The energy was up here…

She slid to a stop, mouth dropping open in surprise. The window was open, wind blowing in leaves from the tree outside. And sitting in the sill was a gorgeous silver fox.

It was there only a moment before flitting away, but it that spilt second a rush of memories came back to her. Her grandfather, his smile, his eyes, his stories. The night he died, this fox that came to her with the message. And…and…

Long, white hands, shooting out from the darkness. Cold finger snaking their way past her hair and running themselves along her exposed throat. A rush of dread filled her, waiting anxiously…helplessly…as the pressure grew…the air was squeezed out…

Sakura gasped, snapping back into reality. She was on her knees, clutching her neck protectively. What was that? The memory…of a dream…a nightmare that came to her, some nights when she was afraid or tired or scared. Why…who…

She looked up. The fox was gone. But right by the window she noticed an old, yellowed letter…with _her_ name on the front of the envelope.

Sakura picked the letter up, opening the yellowed envelope carefully. Her eyes were drawn to the familiar pen-scratching of the parchment. Her eyes widened. It was…impossible. It was from…_her grandfather_.

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To my Kura-chan, she read, eyes widening with each word.

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I suppose I'm not with you to read this message…but it's better this way. What I'm about to tell you, I don't want you to repeat. Your mother and father need not know. This is for your eyes only…and only for you.

You're a special girl, Kura…and not just to me. You have a destiny you can't even imagine now. You can go anywhere you want to, Kura, but only if you try. The best I can do for you now is wish you well…and give you some last instructions.

I have a dear friend, known in these parts as Master Urameshi. If at all possible, I'd like you to train with him. Directions to his home included. He'll recognize you, don't worry. Just train your hardest, and become as strong as you can.

Forever with Love,

Ojeesan

Sakura stared at letter a moment before re-reading. Strongest? As in, a fighter? But her mother…

This 'Master Urameshi' he was talking about…hadn't he mentioned him before? Yes…now she remembered. While he was in the hospital, Urameshi had come to visit, along with that short, black-haired man that looked too young for her grandfather to know. 

If she remembered correctly, Urameshi had been a tall, joking, old man with a warm, caring laugh. She'd liked him a lot, but he hadn't seamed like much of a fighter, and she hadn't seen him sense grandpa's funeral. 

"Maybe…I will…" she muttered, picking the letter up again. She looked at it a moment, letting the long-forgotten memories of her grandfather waft back before she headed back down to start her dinner.

**__**

Words To Know (sounds like a textbook, huh?)

Kaasan - Short for okaa-san. Respectful term for mother.

Tousan - Short for otou-san. Respectful term for father.

Ojeesan - Respectful term for grandfather.

Okay…that was a little lame. But it picks up the next chapter, I promise! Uh…Please review.


	3. To Find An Apprentace

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Well, Yusuke shows up in this chapter, but don't expect the others for a while…at least while you know who they are. More likely than not you'll see Keiko, Hiei and (Youko) Kurama, Yukina, Koenma *duh, definitely*, and maybe (serious maybe) Botan and Kuwabara. I've got a few plans…^_^…But not for a while.

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original YYH characters. I do, however, own Sakura, Mamoru, and all the grumpy fighters they'll run into in this tournament.

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Yu Yu Hakusho: Blossom

Chapter 2: To Find An Apprentice

Mamoru glanced at his own reflection in the window of the moving bus and grinned at what he saw. He looked pretty tough if he did say so himself. His hair was still falling down in his eyes, sure, but the dark green jacket over blue jeans and a gray t-shirt made him the spitting image of his grandfather, if he did say so himself.

His stop was next, and he could hardly wait! His grandfather's letter had been full of excitement, alright. Seams he was looking for an apprentice to inherit his most powerful technique, the one he'd learned from _his_ master…The Spirit Wave. He wanted, of course, to make sure he had the strongest student possible, so he was holding a kind of tournament…a series of tests almost identical to the ones that the previous master had apparently put him through to earn his right. They were gonna be tough, Mamoru knew that, but he could handle it.

_"I'm gonna pass every single one!" _he thought to himself as the bus pulled to a stop. "Well, about time!" he exclaimed out-loud, grabbing his bag and jumping off the bus as soon as he got to the door.

The first thing he noticed was that he was not the only one getting off here. He blinked a moment at a vibrant red flash, almost ready to yell 'fire' before he realized it was hair. Then with a second glance he realized it was that new transfer student…Sakura, he thought her name was…Koubai.

She was certainly dressed differently than she'd been at school. Her hair was pulled back modestly again, but this time held out of her eyes with a small, flowery hair ornament. She was dressed rather elegantly, but still like she was ready to fight anyone. It was a kind of tunic, dark, dark red and reaching her knees, with a high mandarin collar and golden yellow trim. The bright red rose from her bag was now tucked into the lapel of the tunic. It was tied around her waist with a thick yellow sash, over a sort of white martial arts outfit, the kind with long, loose sleeves and legs. Even her shoes seamed ready for a kind of elegant dance, thin slippers that would slid easily on a tile floor and were rather delicate compared to his thick, chunky hiking boots.

She brushed her hair back a moment, not noticing him. She was too preoccupied with a piece of paper in her hands. "This is it…" she muttered quietly, talking to herself. "This is the place…"

She started forward, climbing up white marble stairs. With a shock, Mamoru realized she was heading for his grandfather's house. Could she…?

"Hey, Kou…er, Sakura!" he called, chasing after her. The girl stopped, turning around in surprise as the boy ran to her side. "Hey…remember me? From class?"

"Yes…" she said quietly, thinking a moment. "Mamoru…is that right?"

"Yeah, that's me." Mamoru grinned, then his eyes grew more curious. "Are you going up that way? To the temple?"

"Um…I guess." Sakura shrugged. "I thought that maybe I could…train…with the master that lives there."

"Train?" Mamoru gasped. "Don't tell me _you're_ after the Spirit Wave training, too?"

"I…suppose so…" she whispered, nervous. Spirit Wave? What was that?

"Look, I hate to disappoint you, but I'm the one who's getting that Spirit Wave technique." Mamoru's eyes glinted wildly as he bragged. "Master Urameshi is my grandfather!"

"Your…grandfather?" Sakura's green eyes grew wider and wider.

"Yup!" Mamoru grinned. "He's been training me for the past year, I've even got the first step to the Spirit Wave all down! It's called the Spirit Gun."

"Wow…" Sakura sounded a little expectant. "So are you gonna show me?"

"Uh…I would, but…" Mamoru blushed, a bit sheepish. "I can only fire one shot a day. I'm still kind of a beginner."

"Really." Sakura sighed coolly, glancing up at the steps. The letter echoed a moment in her ears, and her green eyes gleamed with determination. "Well…Be that as it may, I'm gonna try anyway!"

Mamoru blinked as she started up the stairs before him, then smiled a bit. "Hm… This should be interesting."

He hurried up after her, catching his schoolmate before she got too far. The two of them walked up together, occasionally mentioning something about school or homework but mostly not talking.

Almost to the top of the stairs, Sakura stopped, her eyes wide. Mamoru looked back. "What's the matter?"

"There's something here." Sakura whispered quietly. "I feel…something dark. It's near-by, and really, really strong."

Mamoru blinked, glancing around. There was a faint purple glow ahead of them, a barrier his grandfather had erected to keep the worthless ones out. Those with the spirit energy to use the attack were passing through, but the rest of them were pushed away. If they came too fast, the wall could throw them back past the street. But it wasn't a dark or powerful spell either way.

"I don't see anything." he said pointedly.

"I don't _see_ it either." Sakura snapped. "It's strong, it's dark, it's powerful, and it's up ahead of us, at the temple. I don't have any idea what it could look like."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "What are you, psychic?" he asked under his breath. Somehow he doubted she had the Spirit Energy to make it past the barrier, and even his grandfather didn't have the awareness to sense something so indistinct that far away.

"You're just being paranoid." he sighed, impatient. "Come on, let's go!"

He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her up the steps. The usually calm, poker-faced Sakura was taken by surprised and practically dragged over several of them before regaining her balance.

Mamoru slowed when he reached the barrier, pausing a moment by the glowing purple. "It's just to keep the selection possible, so nobody's humiliated." he said to Sakura. "If you don't make it through, you don't have the energy for the Spirit Wave."

"I figured that." the girl wasn't next to him. She was already standing on the other side of the glowing purple wall, one hand stuck into the pocket of her pants and the other gently fingering the rose tucked into her lapel. "Well, are you coming?"

Mamoru stared a moment, then slid through the barrier himself. It felt kind of like being covered with a wet sheet for a spilt second, then he re-appeared on the other side.

About ten more steps and they were standing in the courtyard. Even with the barrier up, there was still at least fifty fighters who were grouped there. Sakura licked her dry lips nervously. All these opponents were at least a head taller than either herself or Mamoru, and several years older.

"Hn. And I thought the competition was gonna be tough." a man behind her scoffed to the one next to him. "But that barrier must've just been a chance of luck. How else could those two kids have gotten in here?"

"Kids?" Mamoru glanced around curiously. "Gee, I don't see any kids. Do you, Sakura?"

His classmate didn't answer, just continued to look quietly at the ground. The man who'd spoken before growled. "Look in the mirror, short stuff." he spat. "You and your little girlfriend just run along now and go play games or something."

Mamoru turned to face him. The man was about a head taller than he was, Sakura only came to his chest. His hair was long and matted, a dirty black, and his eyes were dark coal pits. There was a long scar running from just above his right eye to the right side of his chin. He was dressed rather gruffly, in a tattered brown shirt and torn black pants, with no shoes.

The man looked down at him with a smirk. "Whattya got to say to that, _kodomo?_" he hissed.

Mamoru's eyes narrowed in fury. "I'll show you…" he growled, rolling up his sleeves, but Sakura put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mamoru-san." she whispered quietly. "Now is not the time for fighting. Master Urameshi certainly would not approve."

"What…?" Mamoru exclaimed. The man laughed.

"Well, the little girl's got some sense!" he snorted. He grabbed Mamoru by the collar, looking the boy in the eye. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way. _I'll_be the one to get Urameshi's technique, just you wait and see."

He wandered off in the other direction, still laughing. Mamoru growled under his breath, spinning on Sakura. "Why'd you stop me? I could've taken him!"

"If he's really any trouble, you'll fight him soon enough." Sakura reasoned, her green eyes locking pointedly on his brown ones. "Otherwise it'll just be a waste of time and energy, with a chance of getting yourself beat up before you even get a chance to try…"

There was a crash of drums and the two large double doors began to open. "Quiet everybody!" someone shouted from the front. "The Master's coming!"

The entire courtyard was silent as footsteps came from inside the temple. "Well well well." the voice came from inside. "Isn't this a great turnout?"

The figure stepped out into the sunlight. He was tall and strong-looking, though thin, and was smiling a pleasant, comforting smile. His eyes were brown, slightly faded from age, and his hair was a fading greenish-black. He was dressed in a loose coat like a they sometimes wear in Karate or Tae Kwan Do, dark green with blue trim, tied over a white shirt with a blue sash, over blue sweat-pants. His shoes were the same style as Sakura's, just built a bit thicker.

"That old man is Master Urameshi?" someone behind them scoffed. "He doesn't look so tough."

"Sense the lot of you got in here, I'll take it you're all strong enough to learn the technique." he smiled, laughing a bit. "When I started this out I decided I wouldn't try to trick you folks with stupid games, like my old mentor did."

His eyes scanned the crowd, still smiling slightly. Then he spun on his heels. "Right then. The first true test is in here. Follow me."

The crowd watched as he disappeared into darkened room, then slowly…very slowly, hesitant to know if this was truly the master they wanted…they followed him.

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I need a little help. Can you guys give me some ideas as to what techniques the opponents can use? I mean, I've got a demon in the crowd, sure, who wouldn't? But I still have several others who need techniques…I need at least 2 or 3 more, so far including a martial artist and an acupuncturist. Even if I don't use them here, I'll use them for future missions! (Uh…ideas of something that could be stolen would be nice, too. It's all still in the works, you know?) Please review and tell me anything you want done! (except including Kuwabara…I told you he was a maybe)

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A little explanation on the names (There are REASONS I call people what I do)

Sakura - Cherry Blossom

Koubai - Plum Tree

Mamoru - Earth

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Words To Know:

Imoto-san - (Forgot it from CH.1) Little sister

Kodomo - Child


	4. Video Games and a Dark Forest

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Give me a break, people, I can't stuff all 8 or 9 characters into one tournament! Besides, you've already seen Youko…Er, kinda…You know what I mean, right? And Keiko's got a good chance of showing up next chapter…Thanks to everyone who's been giving me ideas, and please keep them coming!

And just as a note…given as I can't think of anything else, most of Yusuke's tests will be based on the same kind of thing that Genkai used. Just how it works…But it won't turn out the same way as Yusuke or Kuwabara.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yusuke or any of the original YYH stuff. I do, however, own Mamoru, Sakura, and the whole lot of the new fighters. Other than that, I have nothing to say.

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Yu Yu Hakusho - Blossom 

Chapter 4: Video Games and a Dark Forest

The room they entered was dark, pitch-black, but the door remained open behind them so that the sunlight entered in about three steps. Other than that the whole place was hidden in the gloom.

"What kind of tests do you think these are gonna be?" someone in the crowd asked the guy behind him.

"I dunno, but I hear they're tough!" the other replied, then there was the noise of a crane being moved.

A sleek, sliver platform, hanging from a long, jointed crane, slid into view from the left side. Master Urameshi stood on it, leaning on the safety railing surrounding it. "You guys ready for the first test?" he asked, smiling cockily. "You better hope you brought some change…"

He flipped a switch under the bar. All at once light filled the room, accompanied by many beeps and rings from the hundreds of small, colorful machines, most covered with flashing lights.

"Video games?!" Mamoru exclaimed after the expected shocked pause.

"Surprised, are you?" Urameshi laughed heartily, enjoying their amazement. "Yeah, I understand how you feel. That was my reaction too. But these games aren't your normal fun stuff, you know? You'll be playing just three of them, and each will measure an attribute you'll need for the Spirit Wave technique. The punching game tests your Spirit Strength. Spirit Awareness will be tested by the Rock-Paper-Scissors. And last, but not least, the Karaoke will test your energy's ability to change and adapt to all kinds of situations. Highest combined scores of the three will move on."

"Well…?" he said after another moment's silence. "What're you waiting for? Get playing!"

"Fine then!" a scrawny-looking boxer exclaimed, grabbing a spot on the janken game. "I'll take it on! This game's always been my best, no sweat!"

With a couple of beeps, the game began. The fighter banged and hit his selections quickly and carefully, matching quite a few, but in the end his score came up an F… 49%.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "It can't be, I scored way more than that!"

"Well that's not how these games work." Urameshi laughed down. "That machine doesn't care what you scored on the board, it's how you rate with your Spirit Awareness."

Yusuke chuckled to himself, gazing around at the game room. All of the fighters were now crowded around the games. Some were scoring well, some not so well, but it was obvious that he had some contendors in the crowd.

The familiar voice of his grandson floated up. "Okay, my turn! I'll knock this thing away!"

He turned to watch. Mamoru had the punching glove on one hand and was stretching his shoulder before a hit. He lunged forward, striking the bag with all his might. It collided with the backboard, which lit up with his score. 165.

"Wow, look at that!" someone in the crowd gasped. "The kid got a 165!"

_"Not bad, Mamoru, not bad."_ Yusuke grinned. _"More power than I had…"_

Mamoru suddenly turned, pulling off the glove with a smile on his face. "Here Sakura, give it a try!" he said, handing the glove to someone behind him.

"O-Okay…" muttered a shy-sounding voice, its owner taking the glove.

"Sakura…?" Yusuke wondered out loud, leaning forward to see. A flash of red caught his eye and he focused on a young girl, just a year younger than Mamoru, with bright red hair and pale skin. Even from this distance the resemblance was striking, and for a split second Yusuke thought for sure he saw a certain long-dead humanized fox demon. "Could it…be?"

Sakura stopped, staring at the bag a moment like she wasn't totally sure what to do, then she pulled back her arm and struck with all her might. The machine went wild, flashing up her score with many beeps and lights. 189.

A stunned gasp filled those watching. After a second, Mamoru exclaimed, "Dang, Sakura!" under his breath.

The girl turned back, a quizzical look filling her green eyes as she pointed to the score. "Um…Is that good?"

"I'll say it is!" Mamoru cried, brown eyes wide. "Damn, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of those!"

"Well…" Yusuke smiled to himself, still looking the girl over. "Whattya know. Didn't think I was startin' a Team Reunion."

And so it went on, people playing more and more until the top twenty scores were posted on a large screen. Sakura and Mamoru both made it through, she at #11 and he at #16. Mamoru had scored higher than her on the karaoke (she a 54, he a 98), but not only did his Spirit Awareness suck (35%) hers was much higher than your average human's (the average was 85. She scored a 94%)

"There's got to be something wrong with these machines!" The tall, burly fighter who'd been so rude to Mamoru outside shouted at the top of his lungs. There was a slight path in the crowd as he pointed at the two teens with fire flashing in his eyes. "There's no way those scrawny little punks managed to get such high scores!"

"What're you complaining about?" someone else in the crowd asked. It was a brown-haired man about 25, 5 years or so younger than the other, about the same height, but thin and built more for stealth. He was dressed in a dark gray coat over black pants and a paler gray t-shirt. "You made it in as well, and if I remember correctly, you got a 173 at that punching game."

"That's beyond the point!" the other one exclaimed. "Only fighters who've been on the edge of death should have the power to master a technique this strong! Neither of these kids could've had anything close to this, especially little Miss Akakami Princess here, who's clearly never fought a minute of her life!"

"That's not true!" Mamoru exclaimed, rising to his newest friend's defense. "With a Spirit Power that strong she must have been in dozens of fights, right Sakura?"

"Um…Not really." Sakura whispered, looking quietly down at the ground. "Actually…I've never really…fought anyone…Mother doesn't approve."

Mamoru nearly fell over as the huge fighter laughed. "Well well well, little girl's never even battled before and thinks she can take us on!"

"Whattya mean you've never been in a fight?!" Mamoru cried at Sakura. "What kind of person shows up to learn the most powerful battle technique ever created if you've never even fought before?!"

"I didn't come here for the technique." Sakura muttered. "I came to train…I didn't know about this contest…"

"How could you not know?!" Mamoru shouted, but Master Urameshi's voice cut him off.

"Enough, enough." he called. "If you're all ready for the next test, please follow me."

The tough, burly fighter turned, exiting sourly. Then the gray-clothed young man crossed through the door, followed by several more. Sakura and Mamoru left at the same time, the boy still staring at her in shock, mouthing various disbeliefs, which she politely ignored.

Urameshi lead them out of his home and down a twisting dirt path, ending at the warded entrance to a forest. The trees of the woods were dark and twisted, the whole jungle seamed to thrive with life. 

Sakura shuddered as they stopped in front of it, the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to stand up. Mamoru glanced over at her. "What's the matter?"

"…That forest's got a black aura." the redhead gulped. "It's evil, Mamoru, really evil. I've got a bad feeling about this…"

"With good reason." Master Urameshi was standing just to the side of her, about the front of the group. "This forest is ancient, over a hundred centuries old, and filled with more demons than I expect the lot of you will ever care to meet."

"However, you may very well have to, as going through this forest is your next test."

"You're crazy!" a man stumbled back. He'd scored one of the highest on Spirit Awareness, just over Sakura's. "There's no way I'm going through there!"

"No technique is worth that!" someone else shouted, running after him. "You idiots go in there, I'd rather live!"

Yusuke chuckled. "Yeah, I don't blame you a bit. These woods are pretty rough, but if you find the right path with your Spirit Awareness you shouldn't have much trouble…hopefully."

"There's this giant tree exactly two miles away from here." he pointed over the other tops, and yes, they could see a huge one towering out of them. "First eight to reach me there will be the winners. The rest of you can better hope to get out of this alive on your own…"

"He does have a point." the twenty-something man in gray muttered. "These woods tingle with their own life-force, it's far to dangerous for just anybody. A mere _child_ wouldn't have a chance."

"Are you gonna start on that now, too?!" Mamoru exclaimed.

Yusuke grinned. "Age has nothing to do with this." he laughed under his breath, the raised his hand to the line of fighters. "Ready? 'Best of luck, I hope you don't die!' GO!"

Twenty competitors charged forward at once. Sakura caught a glance of the Master zipping past her, faster than any creature she'd ever seen, and could have sworn he glanced her way with a supportive smile.

Fighters began to veer left and right, splitting off down different pathways. May of these ended in screams, echoing through the trees as the forest attacked.

Mamoru may had been called bull-headed and obnoxious, but he wasn't stupid. He knew very well his Spirit Awareness sucked, and had long since learned the straightest way was not always the fastest. Heck, if that had been true, he'd be a freshman in high school by now!

So he stuck with following Sakura, who had slowed to a stop just moments before and was glancing curiously in multiple directions, as though gauging her chances before making a decision.

Finally, sure turned back, knowing he was there, and pointed just to the North-East. "This way." she called, and disappeared into the trees.

Mamoru then discovered another hindrance he had that she didn't. He was much thicker-set than she was, and about twice as clumsy. She moved through the trees like a liquid, slipping past them, through them and around them with ease and refinement. But Mamoru kept bumping his shoulders and skinning his knees against the rough, thick bark, moving only half as fast, and would have lost her had it not been for her fiery red tresses.

She changed direction suddenly, moving more to the East, then to the West. Subconsciously Mamoru wondered where all the other fighters were, and why they hadn't run into anything yet.

_"Pick you feet up a bit more!" _Sakura's voice sounded as clear as though she was standing right next to him. _"We've got three competitors ahead of us, at least, and it's starting to get a little bumpy!"_

Mamoru almost fell flat on his face. "W-What the…?" he gasped. "Sa…Sakura?!"

_"Relax." _the voice came again. He could practically see the sly grin on Sakura's face. _"It's only telepathic communication. I've been close to this Spiritually Aware my whole life, why let it go to waste?"_

"But…how?" Mamoru's mind went blank a moment, then he suddenly realized what she'd said. "Wait a sec, you mean you're _psychic_?!"

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"Something like that." She cut off a moment, then her voice shot back, out loud this time. "Mamoru, jump to the left!"

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The boy was startled, but did as he was told. Just as he moved the ground where he had been exploded, sending him tumbling into a tree.

Sakura appeared very suddenly, crouched beside him in concern. "Are you okay, Mamoru?"

"I'm fine…" the boy growled, climbing to his feet. "What _was_ that?"

"I'm not sure…" Sakura whispered. "But it's up that tree over there, and it doesn't look friendly."

Mamoru looked up. Perched on a tree branch just above them was what looked like a purplish-black human shadow, except that its eyes glowed a fearsome gold. It hissed at the two, then lunged again.

They scrambled out of the way to avoid its blow. The ground where it hit seamed to explode with the impact of spirit energy, sending dirt flying everywhere. Then it spun around and dove again, this time for Sakura, who'd moved to the right. 

"Sakura, duck!" Mamoru shouted, to which the girl readily obeyed.

The demon suddenly went flying over her, sent so by Mamoru's kick. He crashed into the trunk of a tree five meters away and crumpled to the ground, groaning.

Sakura sat back up. "Wow…" she whispered.

Mamoru smirked, brushing his hands off while he crossed to stand next to the demon. The shadow looked up with a gulp. "You think you can take me on?" Mamoru snickered. "Let's see just how tough you are!"

At which point, he then preceded to pummel the thing witless.

~ * ~ * ~

Master Urameshi checked his watch a moment. "It's been two hours." he announced with a sigh. "The last two should show up within the next thirty minutes…"

He turned a moment to scan his eyes over the six contestants. Among them was the burly mountain-fighter and the gray-clothed young man that had spoken to Mamoru before, as well as a blonde-haired man who looked like a monk, and a pint-sized Chinese immigrant girl who looked no older than 20, but was as short as Genkai had been.

Yusuke suddenly felt two separate energies approaching and turned to look. He grinned when he spotted Mamoru and his red-haired classmate hurrying up the grassy hill.

"What?! No way!" the mountain fighter cried. "How did those kids make it all the way here?"

"Perhaps they are worth taking into consideration after all." the gray-cloaked ninja muttered.

Mamoru stopped at the top of the hill, leaning over himself and panting. Sakura slid next to him, put a hand over her heart, took a deep breath and was fine. "How'd… we…do?" Mamoru gasped.

"Congratulations, you two." the teens looked up. The Master was standing above them, grinning from ear to ear. "You're the last two fighters to make it to the final round of tests."

Sakura blinked. "We…made it?" she asked. "You mean it? We really made it?"

Urameshi nodded. Mamoru's tired expression spread to a maniac grin, and with a whoop of excitement grabbed both of Sakura's hands and started cheering. The redhead smiled a bit, laughing sheepishly.

"Hmph." the ninja sighed. "Maybe they're not so big a problem, after all."

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More Words To Remember

Akakami - Red-haired


	5. Dinner and a Fist Fight

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You know, I get my most entertaining and nicest reviews on this fic! They're all nice and long, very descriptive…

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Sakura: Um…What's a 'kitsune koinu'?

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GS: Um…(flips through Japanese-to-English dictionary) Literally…'fox puppy'.

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Sakura: Ah…*mumbling* What an interesting thing to call a person…

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Mamoru: Yeah, that's why it's gonna be Kotori's nickname for you later on!

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GS: (knocks Mamoru over the head with dictionary) Stupid! Don't give out spoilers!!

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Sakura: Mamoru-kun? Are you okay?

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Mamoru: X.X

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original YYH characters, but of course_ I own Sakura, Mamoru, and the new fighters. On with the fic!!_

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Yu Yu Hakusho - Blossom

Chapter 5: Dinner and a Tournament

Master Urameshi lead the eight contestants through a slightly faster short-cut past the woods, back to the house. He turned back to them with a smile as they reached the door. "Now then…" he said cheeringly. "Before we move on to the final test, I suggest we all tuck in a nice meal."

"Eat?" the monk gasped. "At a time like this?"

"Well, of course!" the master laughed, opening the doors. "You can't exactly fight on an empty stomach, now can you?"

He flung open the doors to reveal a long, low table, four sitting-cushions on each side and two at the very end, farthest from the door. There were plates and utensils set out at each spot, and already the table was lined with dozens of delicious-looking home-made dishes, from oden and hamachi, to rice cakes and sweat dumplings.

Mamoru took a deep breath of the sweat, familiar smells and his mouth started to water. Sakura whiffed the ambrosial fragrances as she and the others sat. "Oh…It smells wonderful…"

"Thank you for that."

Sakura snapped her head up. Standing above her was a smiling old woman, apparently the same age as Urameshi, with friendly, ageless brown eyes. Her hair had once been brown, but had now faded to a dull kind of gray. She was wearing an apron and holding a steaming pot of soup.

"Mamoru, dear, I should've known you'd be here." she said with a laugh, setting the pot down to ruffle Mamoru's hair.

"Yeah, I'm here…" he smiled, brushing his already-messy hair back into place. "It looks great, Gramma Keiko."

"Thanks again." the woman smiled, taking the second seat at the end next to Urameshi.

The Master laughed. "That's my girl." he sighed, putting one arm around his wife and kissing her on the cheek. He turned back to the competitors. "Well? What're you waiting for? Dig in!"

I didn't take long for them agree, piling food onto their plates and feasting gratefully. Some…like Mamoru and the Chinese girl…ate quite a bit, while others…the monk, and the ninja…barely touched it.

Mamoru noticed after a few minutes that Sakura was very careful to remove her rose and place it just out of the way, so that it was still close, but she had no chance of getting any food or drink on it.

He leaned over, curious, and picked it up. "This is the same kind you had with you at school, isn't it?"

"Yes…" the girl's hands gently removed his fingers from the flower, setting it on the other side so he wouldn't pick it up again. "I always carry one…"

"Why?"

Yusuke looked over as the girl fingered the rose lovingly. "It's…just kind of a habit, I guess." she muttered. "My grandfather always used to carry one with him, every day. I did it… to remember him…after he died. It just kinda…stuck…"

Keiko looked over at the girl, at the rose, and then at Yusuke. The two locked eyes, thinking the same thing, then they continued with the meal.

About fifteen minutes later, the plates were cleaned to the bone. Master Urameshi set down his utensils. "Well now." he smiled around at the group. "Now that we're all done, I think it's only fitting we give a little introduction. Starting at this end, go around the table and say something about yourselves."

He pointed at the person sitting on his left, the young Chinese girl. She was very small, the tiniest one there, with short-cut, black hair, died blonde bangs and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a very Chinese-looking outfit, a dark blue shirt with a high Mandarin collar, long sleeves ending in loose white cuffs, white fastenings up from her waist and loose-fitting blue shorts.

She smiled out at the group, looking very cheerful. "Hello. My name be Ming-mei, of the Maolin School of Mastery." she said, stumbling a bit with the Japanese. "Master say to me 'Ming-mei become strong, learn new techniques in Japan' so here I am!"

The next one was the gray-cloaked ninja from before, who gave a soft sigh as it came to him. "My name's Kiyoshi, known to most as the Gray Shadow. A student of ninjutsu and acupuncture. Assassin-for-hire."

Beside him was a man of about thirty-something, head shaved and wearing a purple cap, dark eyes smiling icily. "I am Rafu, from a village of fishers. I live to test my own strength."

The burly fight Mamoru had the run-in with before was next, folding arms confidently over his chest. "Yukio, strongest of all the fighters in the Akiyama mountain village. I crush any who get in my way."

Now it'd moved around the table, to a man with scraggly white hair and gray eyes that looked like rocks. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows over one shoulder. "My name's Kanaye, master of the hunt. Challenging large game is my hobby."

Between him and Mamoru sat the monk. His hair was long and uncut, a pale, pale blonde, hanging loose down his back, and his eyes were a haunting, almost creepy, blue. But his face was young and pleasant-looking, and he was dressed in long white robes and had a tall staff sitting beside him. "They call me Kisho. I come from a temple in the north, and travel to slay demons of evil."

Mamoru brushed his hair back with a confident grin. "Mamoru Urameshi, the best fighter at Sarayashiki Jr. High."

Many of the fighters raised eyebrows when they heard his last name. "Urameshi…" Kiyoshi muttered. "What relation could he have with the master?"

Finally, Yusuke turned to the red-haired girl, who had been quietly staring at her plate this whole time. "And you?" he asked gently, pulling a bit on her bangs to make her look up. "What's your name?"

"Sakura…Sakura Koubai." she muttered, keeping her voice low. "Fourteen years old, class 2B at Sarayashiki Jr. High."

Yukio scoffed at her. "Is that all she's got to say?" he muttered under his breath. "There's no way a prissy little flower-carrying schoolgirl can master this technique."

Mamoru shot the guy a death glare, but Sakura just picked her rose back up and tucked it into her lapel. Master Urameshi sighed, brushing his hands together, then smiled out at the group.

"Well." he started, glancing at them. "Now that that's finished, I suggest you all take a close look at your soup…"

"What?" The contests looked down at the bowls of brown, beef soup. Most of them had only recently been re-filled, steaming hot and filled with chunks of meat and vegetables.

Mamoru stared down at it, wondering what the trick was. Sakura, Ming-mei and Kisho picked up their spoons and poked at the broth-covered meat for some kind of sign of what they were waiting for…

Then Sakura uncovered a small, laminated piece of paper under a piece of meat. It was too large to be swallowed, and too bright a white to be hidden completely. She reached in with her thumb and fore finger and lifted it out to find that something was written on it. "…Two." she muttered, showing the others at the table.

Mamoru dug around in his soup, too, pulling out another number. Seven. One-by-one, each of the contests found their numbers and pulled them out, looking at it strangely. Master Urameshi grinned out at them. "Those numbers are your lots in the next test."

"What next test?" Kisho demanded. "What're these numbers for?"

"The final test is a full-fledged tournament between the eight of you." Yusuke stood, brushing himself off. "Follow me, and I'll show you where you'll be fighting."

The group stood and went after him. He opened a door at the end of the room and entered into a large room with a huge wooden fighting ring. Above them on the wall was a glowing screen with a tournament chart on it. 

"My master made us fight in the dark this first round." the Master mentioned over his shoulder. "Personally, that was the stupidest fight I've ever been in. So we'll be going by simple tournament rules: You fight until your opponet is either dead or incapacitated. Honestly, I don't care which, just whatever comes first. Try to stay in the ring and not harm anyone but your opponet, but there aren't any penalties for stepping out of the area. As you can see, the matches are just about set up."

The chart flashed, the numbers being replaced by pictures of the contests who had drawn them, and underneath were multi-colored charts showing the results of the power tests.

Urameshi glanced up at the screen, then back at the group. "First match is Kiyoshi vs. Sakura." he announced.

The red haired girl looked nervous, shifting her weight. The gray-cloaked ninja had already climbed into the ring, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well? Are you coming, little girl?"

Sakura gulped, then climbed into the ring to face him. Mamoru licked his lips nervously. If it was true that Sakura had never fought before, she could be in big trouble. 

Urameshi gave the a supportive glance before raising his hand over the ring.

"Fighters ready?" the two nodded. "Well then…BEGIN!"

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A little more explanation on the names… (Lots of 'em this time)

Ming-mei - Chinese. Smart or beautiful.

Rafu - A net

Yukio - He who gets what he wants

Kanaye - Zealous one

Kisho - One who knows his own mind


	6. Grandpa's Rose

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Before we start, a small message for Alex…THANK YOU SO SO SO SOOOO MUCH for all the move and attack ideas!! Unfortunately, I designed all the characters with remarkable flashes of brain-storms, so I'm afraid that none of them will be showing up in this tournament. However, I may throw several in later on, during their missions and such…Also, thanks to everyone for great reviews! ^_^ I had no idea eating before a fight gives you cramps… It just seamed like something Yusuke would do.

And as a note: I LOVE NARUTO!!! ^_^ ^_^ (If you've seen it, you'll know what I mean)

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original YYH characters. But of course I own Sakura, Mamoru, Kiyoshi, and all the other fighters, as well as their attacks and attitude problems.

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Yu Yu Hakusho: Blossom

Chapter 6: Grandpa's Rose

Mamoru glanced at Sakura before she climbing into the ring. "Nervous?" he asked quietly.

"About the fight? A little…" the girl was shaking ever so slightly, the tremors sending her waves of red hair rippling down her back.

"I don't think that's 'a little'." he said, pointing to the visible bounce.

She glanced over. "That's not about the fight." she whispered, dropping her voice low and rubbing her arms to warm herself. "It's still here."

"What is?"

"The…the darkness…" she whispered, sounding a bit more frightened now. "That force…the one I felt outside the temple…But it's closer now, much closer…and it's terrible…"

"Hey, kid." Kiyoshi called down from the ring. "Are you gonna fight or just stand there all day?"

Sakura gulped, then cautiously climbed into the ring and faced her opponent. Yusuke gave her a supportive glance, a soft flicker flashing through his eyes.

Mamoru slipped next to his grandfather, eyes still locked on Sakura. "Gramps… _Are you crazy?!_ I mean, making this a _death match_?!"

"A fighter's true worth is tested only in the gravest life-or-death situations." the old man lectured coolly. "When pushed to the point that their life is threatened, a fighter who would lose a simple hand-to-hand match can spring back from a fall instinctively. And it's a good way to discover their true nature. Anyone so quick and bloodthirsty as to kill their opponent without hesitating could never learn this technique, same as one who holds back to the point that they're killed."

"But Sakura's never been in a fight before!" Mamoru exclaimed. "She barely knows how to control her spirit energy! That ninja guy's gonna murder her!"

"Don't worry about it." Mamoru watched the redhead with a satisfied grin, lifting his hand to start the match. "I have a feeling she'll do just fine…Fighters ready?… BEGIN!"

Kiyoshi reached into his sleeves with the opposite hands, eyeing Sakura. "I'll give you a chance to run, girl." he hissed. "Just give up now and I won't have to hurt you."

Sakura gulped, one foot sliding back as her hands raised into a defensive stance. "I'm n-not giving up." she muttered. "And I'm not s-scared of you…"

"Really." Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow, smirking at his much smaller opponent. "I'll just have to show you exactly why you should be afraid of me…"

His hands shot from inside his sleeves. Sakura gasped at a sudden sting of pain, running a hand along her right cheek. When she looked at it again, the fingers were stained with blood from the long, thin cut there.

"What that…?" Ming-Mei whispered.

Kiyoshi grinned, flipping another one into his hands. They were long, thin sticks, sharpened at both ends, aero-dynamic and easily able to pierce the thickest of skin. Sakura's eyes went wide and she took a step back.

"_Senbon_." Kisho muttered, tapping his staff. "Acupuncture needles. That's quite an impressive move, using those as weapons."

"Naturally." the ninja smiled. "In medical terms these things are close to harmless. Useful tools for doctors to cure the ailments of the sick. But in the correct hands…" he twirled his needle for effect. "They're weapons…Lethal, even."

He threw the one he'd been twirling. Sakura dived out of the way, somersaulting and landing in a crouch. The senbon buried itself in the wooden pole behind her, nearly splitting it.

"How can…a needle…be deadly?" Mamoru wondered.

"It's not the weapon itself, boy." Kiyoshi smiled. "It's what you do with it…"

"Acupuncture ancient Chinese art of healing." Ming-Mei muttered. The other waiting fights turned their heads to look at the small woman. "Focus on pressure-points in body, an' also spiritual points to re-direct a person's _chi_ to cure any sort of ailment. But dangerous also. Wrong pressure-point can paralyze…or even kill."

Sakura tensed. She didn't know why he hands were curling into fists at the moment, she knew very well her punch couldn't hurt a weakened teddy bear. Besides all that, the dark energy radiating from behind her put her nerves on edge.

Kiyoshi locked eyes with her. "Well?" he prompted. "I'll give you another chance. How 'bout you just give up now?"

She glared at him. "I already said I'm not giving up."

Kiyoshi shrugged. "Alright then." he grinned. "Your funeral."

He flung needle after needle at her, aiming more for weakening spots rather than her vitals. Sakura took to her heels, to get her out of his firing range. The senbon spiked off the ring floor when they missed, clattering to the ground feet away.

One of deflected ones his Sakura in the foot, sticking through the cloth of her slipper and knocking her off-balance. She tripped and fell.

"Sakura!" Mamoru gasped, but then blinked in surprise.

Sakura may not have been much of a fighter yet, but she was quite a gymnast. 

She caught herself before she hit, only and arm's length from the ground and balancing perilously on the fingers of her right hand. But she was only in that position for a second before kicking off the ground, avoiding his next wave of needles. Her right hand pushed off a moment later, suspending herself in mid-air for a split second, then her feet touched one after another.

Kiyoshi raised and eyebrow. "Hn. Better than I thought."

Sakura grimaced a bit, reaching downing for a spilt second to snatch out the needle. Then she moved again, but she wasn't fast enough. Four needles came at once. One missed her completely, one got her on the ankle, one just below her shoulder, and the last one just over it, heading facing down.

The ankle went numb and she hit the ground, hands too unsteady to catch her. The two needles in her shoulder were pushed father in and she let out a soft cry. One of them was hitting and extremely sensitive pressure point from beneath, and it was impossible for her to pull herself up. The left arm had gone numb and she was shaking slightly.

"No…" Mamoru gasped.

Sakura pulled herself up on her elbow, groaning a bit. She reached for the pin in her ankle, but Kiyoshi was on her.

The assassin grinned down at her. "I'd hold still if I were you." he said quietly. "I'll aim for a place that'll only knock you out for a while, but if you move too much, it will kill you."

Sakura scrambled back, still on the ground, as he readied his needles. Then she noticed the rose lying on the ground just next to the ninja's foot. Her hand snapped to her lapel, feeling the slightly torn fabric it had dropped out of.

"I'll give you until three to surrender, girl." Kiyoshi smiled. "One…"

Sakura's eyes were still locked on the rose. A long-lost memory floated into her mind, from years ago. Her grandfather, winking at her when her mother left the room, then pulling a rose out of his hair.

_"Just remember, Kura…"_ he whispered to her, tucking it into her belt. _"Always keep one close, and I'll be there…This simple rose can save your life."_

"Two…" Kiyoshi readied to throw the two needles, eying the potentially deadly area around the throat.

"Sakura, get out of there!!" Mamoru shouted.

The girl didn't seam to hear him, her eyes had gotten kind of murky. She pushed off the ground with her good foot, lunging towards the ninja's foot. He turned to follow her as she snatched the rose, rolling to the side, his aim never faltering.

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"THREE!" Kiyoshi shouted, throwing the pair of needles for her throat. Sakura squeezed her eyes closed, swinging the arm that clutched the rose in front of her in instinctive defense…

_Snap-snap-snap-SNAP!!_

Mamoru's mouth dropped open, as did Ming-Mei's, Rafu's, and Yukio's. The rest of the fighters' eyes widened in shock. Master Urameshi just smiled and nodded, suspicions confirms.

Two neatly halved senbon dropped to the ground, followed seconds after by a limp, bloody ninja, practically cut through with two long, deep slices. Blood started flowing into a large puddle, as Sakura opened her eyes hesitantly. She gasped, staring at the item in her hand.

The red rose had transformed, and was very suddenly a long, green whip, barbed with impossible sharp thorns. The tips of the barbs had blood hanging on them. _Kiyoshi's_ blood.

"Oh…my…god…" she stuttered out, dropping it in horror. There was a quiet rushing sound, and the whip changed back into a the blooming red rose.

Mamoru scrambled up onto the ring as she gently pulled out the needles still stuck into her body. He helped her to her feet, supporting the shaking girl by the arm. Her eyes never left that rose.

"Sakura…" Mamoru gulped. "What the heck happened?"

"I don't know…" Sakura gulped. She paused a moment, reaching down to take back her rose. "I…I don't…know…"

The Master raised a hand as Mamoru helped her from the ring. "Winner of the match, Sakura!"

Ming-Mei opened and closed her mouth a few times. "That amazing!" she gasped.

"Quite lethal." Kisho nodded.

"Feh. Tricks." Yukio sniffed.

The redhead dropped to the ground outside of the ring, fingering the rose in disbelief. Mamoru glanced down at her. "You okay?" he asked. She didn't answer, just continued to stare. "That was amazing…What was that?"

They both heard a gentle clapping from behind. They looked up. The Master was clapping slowly, smiling at Sakura warmly. "Quite impressive, young lady." he congratulated. "Quite impressive indeed."

"What…do you mean…sir?" Sakura asked. She looked frightened, no, terrified, and practically like she was about to burst into tears.

Yusuke patted her on the head, still smiling. "I haven't seen that technique for almost sixty years…" he knelt down so he could look the sitting girl in the eye. "That's a very special move…It's called the Rose Whip, and your grandfather is the only one I've ever seen master it."

"Grandpa?" Sakura asked, eyes widening. "My grandfather…was…?"

"Easily one of the best fighters I have ever known." the master's eyes glazed over in the memory. "That move was his personal favorite, not to mention his trademark technique. From the looks of it, the plant skills he used must run in the family instincts."

"Plant skills?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "Rose Whip? Gramps, what on earth are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later." his grandfather sighed, helping the girl to her feet. "But you know, Sakura…even if you don't win this tournament, I'd be happy to help you get a hang those." he gestured to the rose. "I'm no expert, of course, but Kurama did explain the gist of it to me…"

"Really?" Sakura asked, blinking. Mamoru's eyes widened a bit. He'd heard his grandfather use that name before…_Kurama_. He always spoke of him with great respect, but had also warned how dangerous he could be…

"Really." Yusuke winked. "I owe it to your grandpa." 

He brushed himself off, then turned to the other competitors. "Now then." he announced. "Let's move on to the next match!"

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Well? Whattya think? That's one fighter down…five to go. Who do you think the 'dark prescience' Sakura feels is coming from? Yes, it's one of the fighters, and no, it's not Karasu…yet. ^_^. Mamoru's first fight's up next! Should be up within 2 weeks…

Ja ne!

~GS


	7. Spirit Blasts

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Someone asked 'Who wears slippers out of the house?' Well, the obvious answer is… Kurama (the outfit at the end of the Dark Tournament) and Genkai (all the time, period) ^_^ At least…that's what they look like to me. I see them in a lot of fighting animes, and I like the way they look. And no, I've never played Kingdom Hearts. I'm a .hack// fanatic. I just can't put it down…Also, the Chinese girl's name is Ming-Mei, not just Ming. Those two words are her first name, not her first and her last. It's a traditional Chinese girl's name. She was based on Xiao-Xing, from Real Bout High School. If it wasn't for the fact that I don't put smilies in my stories, all of her lines would end with ^_^. 

…This chapter was hard to write…

Please read note at the end of the chapter for help I need in planning the rest of this story.

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Disclaimer: Of course I own the original plot of YYH…And if you believe that, I've got a beach house in Kansas I can sell you…

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Yu Yu Hakusho: Blossom

Chapter 7: Spirit Blasts

"Alright then." Yusuke sighed, glancing at the screen. "The next match is Ming-Mei versus Rafu. Hope one of you makes it."

The little Chinese girl hopped up onto the stage in one bound, smiling happily and bouncing on the balls of her feet. Rafu gave a bit of a huff, climbing up after his opponent, pulling out a fishing rod. 

"Fighters ready?" the master raised his hand, then dropped it to start the match. "BEGIN!"

The fight went rather quickly.

Rafu flung his fishing-wire like a whip, snapping its sharp hook towards the small girl. Ming-Mei simply jumped out of the way, dodging it with ease and grace. She pulled a ball from out from her sleeve and bounced it towards the other fighter.

Before the fisherman could react, a thin rope uncoiling itself from the ball had suddenly wrapped around him, immobilizing the bulky fighter completely. Ming-Mei then connected a flying kick to his head and sent him spiraling out of the ring and into the wooden support beam. He crumbled and didn't move.

Yusuke raised his eyebrow. "Not bad. Ming-Mei is the winner!"

The Chinese girl bowed to her fallen opponent, then jumped out of the ring, bouncing her ball like a yo-yo. Yusuke motioned for the next two to get into the ring. Kanaye and Kisho glanced at the board, climbed into the ring, and began their fight.

Ming-Mei hopped over to Sakura and Mamoru, who were sitting by the wall. Mamoru was watching the fights with earnest, his eyes sparkling in the gloom, but Sakura couldn't care less. She was twirling her rose between her fingers, and her eyes looked distant, almost pained.

"Hi there." Ming-Mei smiled, sitting down next to Sakura.

The redhead blinked at her, a bit confused. "Hi…"

"Ming-Mei liked your attack!" the girl said, sounding excited, pointing to the rose. "It really pretty and look like fun! You fighting Ming-Mei in next match, right?" Sakura didn't answer, but the Chinese girl didn't wait for one as she jumped to her feet. "Make sure you uses that! Ming-Mei want good fight!"

Sakura stared after her as Kisho pointed the end of his staff at the on-rushing Kanaye, after successful deflecting most of the man's arrows, and the hunter's momentum caused him to skewer himself on the monk's staff. His corpse dropped to the ground on the outside of the ring.

"Winner…Kisho!" Yusuke announced. The monk wiped the blood off his staff with a disdainful look, then stepped out of the ring.

"That's three down…" Yusuke turned back to the group of fighters. "One fight to go, and we can start the semi-finals. Mamoru and Yukio, you're up! Let's get it started."

Yukio made a bored 'huff' kind of noise, climbing up onto the wooden platform. Mamoru stood up, brushing himself off and smiling with excitement. "_This _should be fun."

"If you say so…" Sakura muttered, eyeing the much larger fighter. "Good luck… And be careful."

"Thanks." Mamoru winked at her, then climbed into the ring. He stretched his shoulders, grinning like mad. "Alright, big guy, let's get it on."

Yukio raised an eyebrow. He pulled his hands back into a fighting stance. "You're gonna regret that, kid." he growled.

Sakura watched her classmate a moment, then eyed Yukio nervously. Her head was starting to pound slightly from the dark force in the room. She couldn't tell what it was or exactly who it came from, but it didn't feel right…it didn't feel human…at it felt far too strong…

"Fighters ready!" Urameshi raised his hand. "BEGIN!"

Mamoru charged ahead, striking out with as hard a punch as he could muster. He pushed a bit of Spirit Energy behind it, connecting with Yukio's stomach. The larger man grinned.

He reached down and grabbed Mamoru's wrist. The boy didn't have a minute to react as he was thrown off his feet. Yukio gripped him by the arm, swirling him around three times before letting go.

Mamoru crashed to the ground of the ring twenty feet away, letting out as gasp of pain. He pulled himself up, checking his head. It was pounding, a lump of pain was rising up, but there was no blood…

"Why you…" he growled, bouncing to his feet.

Yukio laughed. "Just try it, kid!" he flexed his mussels threateningly. "I've trained my body to perfection! None of your back-yard punches even faze me!"

Mamoru tightened his battle stance, glaring at him. "I'm tougher than I look." he growled low in his throat. He pushed as much spirit energy as he could behind his fists and lunged into an attack again.

"What a fool…" Kisho muttered, tapping his staff on the ground.

"He gonna get thrown again." Ming-Mei agreed.

This time Yukio grabbed both of Mamoru's hands, whirled him twice and hurled him father than before. The boy bounced once and slid a stop, mere inches from the end of the ring.

"Told him." Ming-Mei shrugged.

"Mamoru…" Sakura whispered, green eyes wide. "Is…is he okay?"

"No." the Master muttered. "But he's better than this. Just watch."

Mamoru pulled himself to his knees. This time he was bleeding, the lump on his head had broken, and the room was starting to spin around him. "Aw man…" he growled in his throat. "I can't lose…not now…"

"Give it up, kid." Yukio grinned. "You'll never get to me like that."

Mamoru closed his eyes, concentrating again. He…had…to…_focus_. He _knew_ that. This was no street fight. Street fights didn't involve Spirit Energy, this was a real match. He couldn't just plow in now and expect to walk out.

He moved the spirit energy slowly from his hands to the soles of his feet. He felt the ground get slick beneath him, but it wouldn't last long.

Outside of the ring, Yusuke grinned. "Now _that's_ more like it."

"Well?" Yukio sneared. "Are you gonna give up or what?"

Mamoru's eyes snapped open with light anew. He pushed off the ground and was suddenly behind his bulky opponent. "What the!?" Yukio gasped

Mamoru creamed him with a hard flying kick to the back of the neck, sending the huge fighter hurtling forward, face-first, into the floor of the ring. Literally. The boy landed inches from where his opponent had stood, panting a bit from the energy he used, but looking pleased with himself. "So there."

Ming-Mei blinked. "How he…?" she gasped.

"Your spirit awareness isn't high enough to see him move." Kisho lectured without looking at her. "Obviously, Yukio's wasn't high enough either, or he would have dodged."

Sakura blinked. She'd seen Mamoru move, clear as day. He'd run around his opponent, turned on a dime, jumped and landed the kick. But how he'd done it in the space of a minute's time she did not know.

"He pushed his spirit energy into his legs and feet for an extra boost." Yusuke grinned, almost as if he'd read the girl's mind. "It's a simple technique, but at this point the can't use it for long before the fatigue starts to wear on him."

Yukio put two hands on the edge of the ring, pulling his head out with an almost audible _pop_. He left two teeth and a miniscule puddle of blood in the hole his head had made. He turned to Mamoru with a growl, a trickle of red dripping out of his mouth and eyes wide with anger. "You little brat…"

Mamoru smirked at him, licking his knuckle as though to remove blood, an obvious battle challenge. Yukio glared at him, eyes seemingly rimed with red.

"I'll show you, runt!" he growled, squinting a moment. Then he threw his eyes open, shooting out blood-red beams of spirit energy from both orbs. 

The Master raised a surprised eyebrow. Ming-Mei and Sakura's eyes went wide in shock. Kisho looked a bit flustered, but all in all he didn't look too shocked.

Mamoru, on the other hand, let out a sudden cry and dove out of the way. The beams hit an ornament behind him, which very quickly ceased to be so decorative. He rolled over a few feet away, ending in a crouch.

"What was that?!" he gasped.

Yukio grinned at him, straightening. "I simply call in an Eye-Beam. Concentrated spirit energy with quite a desirable effect. I have just enough control and more than enough energy to pull it off."

Mamoru's own eyes widened a bit, and he was on his feet. Yukio's eyes started to glow again, and another pair of beams were fired. Mamoru dodged easily, running along the edge of the ring as beams flew.

"Yes! Run! Run!" Yukio laughed, firing as many as he could after the running boy.

Sakura watched him, thinking to herself. The bus stop…what had Mamoru said?

_"Mamoru-kun…"_ she projected her thoughts out to him. _"Do you think…that move you told me about…"_

His energy spiked suddenly in excitement, and his thoughts were a mumbled range of planning. Sakura let a small grin cross her lips, breaking the mind-link. "Here we go…"

Mamoru slid to a stop in the corner of the ring, battle-stance ready. "Giving up so soon?" Yukio grinned at him, eyes still burning with bright red energy. "I'll make this quick.

"No."

Yukio raised an eyebrow, then shot off his beams. Mamoru lifted his left hand so that his thumb and index finger formed a gun. He steadied it with his right hand, aiming for the place right between the two beams rushed at him.

"Gotta make this count…" he muttered "Spirit Gun!"

The blue-white blast of energy flew out of his finger tip, directly between the two red ones. Yukio couldn't move in time and it hit him square in the middle of the forehead. He flew back at the same time that Mamoru was hit on each shoulder, both hitting the ground outside the ring very hard. 

Mamoru made a bit of a groaning noise, pulling himself into a sitting position. There was a small, smoking hole in each shoulder. "Ow…man, that's smarts."

"Your's is even worse." he looked up, finding Sakura and his grandfather looking over him. It was the old man who had spoken.

"Whattya mean?"

Sakura pointed on the other side of the ring's corner. Mamoru glanced around to find Yukio lying flat on his back, not moving, a smoking hole between his eyes. "Oh… Well, jeez…"

Yusuke shook his head. Mamoru was definitely just like him, a spitting image. Whither that was a good thing or not, he did not know…

"Winner, Mamoru!" he proclaimed, as the said winner pulled himself to his feet.

The Master looked around at the fighters that were left, then brushed his hands together. "Alright then. We're down to our four semi-finalists. The last two rounds will take place in a more…appropriate location…" he turned on his heel. "Follow me please."

The four remaining contestants glanced at each other a moment, then followed the master out of the door and to their next test.

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Okay…So what I need help with is how I should space the chapters after this tournament's over. Come on, you didn't think I was just gonna end it, did'ja? Naturally, I've got a whole series of adventures planned out…our two new young heroes becoming Reikai Tantei, many different cases and assignments, completing their four-man (er…person? creature?) team…^_^ Wait'll you see who'll fit THAT bill. But I need to know which of the three set-ups below would work best for chapter spacing. I found it easiest to refer to them each as DVDs or box sets. Please include in your review which one you think it should be…^_^ I want to use the best plan.

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Plan 1: The 'Saga Box Set' Plan - Each group is seperated by a 'saga' depending on where I want to end said saga. So after this there'd be another one with about 3 missions (becoming Spirit Detectives, two major missions, but no real long plot line) Then it would switch to various groups as I figure them out.

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Plan 2: The 'Case File DVD' Plan - Each case seperated into a separate story. So after this there'd be one about two-or-three chapters long, then another about four-or-five chapters, then about eight, but none going over about 14, unless I decide to do a tournament for this, which I'm not planning on.

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Plan 3: The 'Collector's Edition Box Set' Plan - I just leave all the chapters in this story as I write them, gathering all together so in the end it'll be like you bought the whole series in a DVD box set and nobody has to go around looking for them. However, said story will accumulate about 40-50 chapters when complete, and could take quite a while.

Thanks for your help! Next ch. Should be up in a couple of weeks or so…^_^

Ciao ~GS


	8. Unwilling Fighter

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Just to remind something…Sakura's ALWAYS been able to do mind-to-mind communication. She did it in the FIRST chapter, and then again in the 4th. If you didn't catch it, please go back and read a bit more carefully.

Also…hate to disappoint you guys, but Hiei is NOT gonna be one of the other two members! However, he does show up later…er…quite a bit later…actually, you'll get a cameo of him in the first case, but he doesn't actually SAY anything until the third one…

Speaking of which…Anyone interested in seeing a spoiler-picture of the other female member, Izumi, please e-mail me at _geministar01@hotmail.com__. I'll send it out. ^_^ I'm also working on one of Kotori, the male member, and have finished the picture of Sakura I've been working on! ^_^_

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original YYH characters, but I own all the original stuff in here.

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Yu Yu Hakusho: Blossom

Chapter 8: Unwilling Fighter

Mamoru fell into step behind Sakura, who was continuously glancing around them, into the dark tress of the woods and particularly at the two remaining opponents behind them. "You still feelin' sick?"

"I'm not sick." Sakura muttered quietly. "There's something dark following us…I know there is. It's the same one that I felt outside the temple."

Mamoru raised a skeptical eyebrow, but his grandfather had caught the conversation. "What's that?" he asked, turning in his steps to talk to the two teenagers. His eyes were trained on the redhead. "A darkness, you say? What kind?"

Sakura dropped her jade-green eyes to the path. "I…I don't know, sensei. It's just…not good…"

"I see…" he leaned down and whispered quietly. "Tell me…do you feel it coming from one of them?" He nodded back towards Ming-Mei and Kisho.

"Yes, sir." she muttered. "But I can't tell which."

A thoughtful look crossed the Master's face, before he straightened and patted the girl on the head. "You've got quite an impressive sixth sense. You should learn to trust your instincts."

Once again, Mamoru raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. He'd only run into one demon before, when he was much younger, and he hadn't liked the incident much. He made a mental note to keep an eye out.

"Here we are." Yusuke stopped. "This is the location for our last round."

The four contestants looked over his shoulders. It was a large, mostly ruined, field, more like a swamp, covered in sludge puddles and dead trees. Sakura and Ming-Mei instantly looked sickened, both snapping hands over their mouths and stumbling back.

"What's the matter?" Mamoru asked.

Yusuke chuckled. "I don't blame them." he sighed. "This field was once the place of an intense battle. Two whole armies destroyed themselves out of madness. The swamp here is not only filled with those tortured souls, but also those of dozens of demons and other creatures who have died here. Most of you can probably see them."

Kisho's nose was wrinkled in distaste, but he was otherwise unaffected. Sakura looked horrified, jade eyes wide. "Ming-Mei going ta be sick…" the smaller girl muttered, dropping back.

"They'll be fine in a few minutes." Yusuke shrugged. "It's a natural reaction, I suppose, but you get used to it. All these spirits enhance you Spirit Energy quite a bit. It's a remarkable place for out kind of fight."

A few moments later, the group had recovered at the first two fighters were making their way onto the field. Ming-Mei, over her previous nausea, skipped up with the ball bouncing in her hand like a rubber yo-yo.

Sakura gulped, licking her lips nervously. She fingered the rose in her lapel silently, mind running crazily on how not to have to use it.

Ming-Mei's voice echoed in her mind: _"You better use dat! Me wanna a good fight!"_

But the sight of the ninja's lifeless body lying in a puddle of the same blood that clung to barbs of her whip echoed in her mind. She couldn't do something like that again, she just couldn't!

"Ready?" Yusuke looked between the two, raising his hand. He brought it down quickly. "Let the fight begin!"

Ming-Mei slipped the ball back into her sleeve, grinning. "Let's start out simple, kay-kay?"

That was all the warning Sakura had before she raced forward, throwing a hard punch. The redhead gasped, raising her arms fast enough to block. She slid back, away from Ming-Mei's incoming kicked, and proceeded rapidly to dodge.

"That girl doesn't have much fighting experience, does she?" Kisho noted out loud, tapping his staff on the ground. "She hasn't thrown a single punch this whole tournament."

Ming-Mei slid back, not looking very amused. "Why won't you fight?" she asked. "It gonna get boring if all you do is dodge. Ming-Mei wanna see that attack!"

Sakura just looked at her. "I…I can't…" she whispered.

"Why not?!" Ming-Mei looked extremely frustrated. Sakura didn't answer, just raised her hands in a defensive position once again. "Fine! Den if you not gonna use your move, I not play around anymore!"

She pulled out her ball-rope and threw it at Sakura. The redhead leapt aside, just out of the noose of string that almost tied around her. But the next round caught her tightly around the torso, pinning her arms to her side.

Ming-Mei looked at her. "I said, I want a good fight." she reiterated, now looking annoyed. "Why won't you fight? How either of us supposed to be stronger if you no fight?"

Sakura was too busy trying to wiggle her way out of the string to answer her. Ming Mei gave the ball in her hand a yank, sending the taller girl flying, the string leaving shallow cuts in her skin.

"Sakura!" Mamoru gasped as the other hit the ground, dangerously close to one of the pulsing, bubbling springs.

Sakura groaned a bit, pulling herself up. Her right hand drifted instinctively to the red rose still tucked into her lapel. She forced it back down with the other, reprimanding herself.

_"No…No!"_ she growled to whatever creature it was trying to make her use that. _"I can't…I can't…I just…I can't!!"_

"Ming-Mei don't kill." she looked up. The petite Chinese girl was standing only a few feet from her, looking dead serious. "But this time…You not get up so soon…"

With a snap, the string on Ming-Mei's ball broke free. The small girl gasped and leapt forward, barely dodging the green tendril as it cracked the ground she'd been standing on moments before.

Sakura blinked in slight surprise. She didn't remember pulling the rose out… When had she done that? She snapped it back towards her experimentally, and it rolled itself up in her hand. She blinked again, running her fingers over it.

_The barbs were gone_…

This one was like a piece of rope, or the jump rope she'd played with as a child. But at the same time, it had the promise of being more deadly, if she wanted it to be. And it was odd, but somehow she felt as though this…object…was actually a part of her…like an extension of her arm…

Ming-Mei grinned. "Well-well. Looks like you finally gettin' serious, eh?"

"…Looks like it." the redhead muttered, confused, but letting her body do whatever it wanted to. She didn't really have a lot of choice, it didn't look like whatever instincts she had was going to let her back down. 

Besides all that, she was now picking up some very…interesting…developments in her nose. Some part of her head was understanding that the odd scent she was picking up belonged to the smaller girl striking a stance in front of her.

"…Very strange." she muttered quietly.

"Has she…always been like that?" Mamoru asked no one in particular, eyes the size of saucers.

Ming-Mei smirked, then took a running leap and jumped upwards. She was aiming to kick Sakura in the head. The redhead yanked at the whip, snapping it upwards to catch the smaller girl as she came on.

Ming-Mei screeched and tried to change direction, but it didn't work so well in mid-air. The whip connected with her directly under the chin, sending her flying head-over-heels. 

The small Chinese girl hit the ground hard, bounced once, then stopped. She lay crumpled on the ground a moment, not moving. Then she groaned, pulling herself up to her feet with a small noise.

Sakura's foot slid back in a ready position, prepared against any attack. But Ming-Mei didn't do anything, just brushed herself off and began walking away.

"What the…?" Mamoru gasped. "What's happening?"

"…Ming-Mei give up." the small girl whispered.

"…What?" Sakura gasped, leaning forward in slight surprise. "What did you say?"

"Ming-Mei say 'give up.'" she turned back, looking completely serious. "Ming-Mei no disserve technique. Ming-Mei better off running while Ming-Mei is ahead."

The Master nodded in agreement with Ming-Mei's declaration, then raised his hand. "Alright then! The winner of this semi-final match is Sakura Koubai!"

Ming-Mei locked eyes with Sakura, glaring seriously. "You better win." she whispered. "Ming-Mei expecting rematch someday!"

With that, she turned and disappeared back down the path.

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Well, well, well…Guess we've narrowed them down, huh? The last match of the semi-finals will be Kisho versus Mamoru Urameshi! Who's gonna win this one, and face Sakura in the final round? Think you can guess? It isn't who you think…Stay tuned! ^_^


	9. An Heir, Or Two

Heh heh heh…put in a nice little twist for the battle's conclusion here…this should be good…

Disclaimer: I don't own original characters, but all the ones you haven't seen in the show belong to me. Duh.

Yu Yu Hakusho - Blossom

Chapter 9: An Heir…Or Two

Sakura looked pointedly down at the whip in her hand. "…Back to normal…" she whispered, but obviously, it wasn't listening to her. Actually, it had re-sprouted the thorns of its own accord, and she wasn't particularly happy about that.

Mamoru, next to her, picked up the edge of the spiny whip in interest. Almost immediately he let out a shout and dropped it, popping a bloodied finger into his mouth. "Ah…Those things are freakin' sharp!!"

"It cut through her first opponent like a sword, you fool." Kisho growled from behind him, tapping his staff impatiently on the ground. The master was insisting on a ten-minute break before the next round, but he wanted to fight _now_. "_Of course_ those barbs are sharp."

Mamoru glared at the monk in distaste, then looked back at Sakura. The girl was slowly rolling the whip back up in her hands. "How come it doesn't cut you?!"

"My technique, I guess." Sakura shrugged. "I don't even feel it."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. This was very strange, this new…sense, she had to suppose it was…that the technique had awakened. It was as though someone had turned the sensors on her nose up a few notches. She could tell, now, that the tangy-yet-sweet lemon scent in front of her belonged to Mamoru, and that the rich, musty, pine radiated from the Master.

But this just increased the problem she was having…for besides feeling the icy-cold energy radiating from Kisho, she could also smell him…and she didn't like the scent. It made her nose itch, like pepper, except it wasn't spicy at all.

The Master appeared suddenly behind his grandson. "Alright then." he grinned. "All ready?"

"Yeah!" Mamoru cheered, leaping to his feet.

Kisho made a huffing noise. "About time."

"Alright then…" Yusuke waited a moment for the two to get in location on the field. "Second semi-final, Mamoru vs. Kisho…BEGIN!"

Mamoru raised his fists in a battle stance, sliding his left foot back. "Well?" he asked, laughing a little under his breath. "Would you like the first move, or shall I?"

Kisho sniffed. "I'm not here to play games, little boy." he sneared. "Why don't you just run on home to your mommy?"

Mamoru growled a bit and lunged forward, throwing his hardest punch. Kisho moved his staff and blocked it easily, snickering to himself. Mamoru growled and began a rapid-fire assault of punches and kicks, only to be blocked by Kisho's unnaturally fast movements.

Sakura shivered a bit, feeling the cold aura emanating from the monk's body, growing stronger and stronger with each blow blocked. The Master glanced her way and for a moment they locked eyes.

"Yes." the old man nodded. "He's the one."

Sakura's green eyes widened. "But…But sensei…What you said before…If…"

"I know what you're thinking." he said calmly, crossing his arms. "Would I allow these kinds of powers to fall into the hands of a demon? After everything the guys and I went through…?"

He beckoned her over and leaned down to whisper in the slightly smaller student's ear. "Not a chance in all the hells. But I can't interfere with the fight."

Sakura turned and looked at him in slight surprise, and his grin widened just a bit.

Kisho raised an eyebrow, this time grabbing Mamoru's fist and holding the boy still. "What was that I hear?" he asked, turning his cold eyes to the sidelines. "I think you should think about that a bit more, _Master _Urameshi."

Sakura and the teacher snapped their heads around. The blonde turned his head and a devilish grin spread over his features. Two sharp fangs showed in his smile.

With a sudden movement, he used a combination of his staff and his grip on Mamoru's arm to flip the boy over on his back, and fling him across the field. Taken off-guard, the boy tumbled head over heels, bounced twice and hit a tree, winded. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his head.

"Mamoru-kun!" Sakura gasped, taking a step forward.

"Stay back!" the master warned, grabbing her wrist.

Kisho turned towards the two watching, approaching them slowly, lifting his staff with each step, the chains on the decorative edge jingling.

"Do you honestly think I would go this far to be stopped by some withered old man?" he snickered. "I even took a step most demons cringe from…disguising myself as a member of this hated 'Order of the Cloth'. It was the perfect cover."

"Hey, did'ja forget?!" Mamoru shouted, racing at the demon/monk from behind. "You're still fighting ME!"

Kisho turned and brought the staff down. Mamoru backtracked a bit and tried to dodge, but the other end of the wood caught him in the stomach and he dropped to the ground, winded. Sakura took a step forward, hands curling around the end of the whip.

The master took a step back, moving his hands back in a battle-ready stance. "Sakura, get behind me." he ordered. She turned around, staring at him. "You're not ready for this kind of thing yet. You haven't had the training, and demons are a tricky type. I owe your grandfather at least enough to keep you alive."

The redhead nodded hesitantly, hurrying to stand just behind the master. Kisho laughed heartily, and this time it sounded cruel and dark.

"Noble, Urameshi. It fits your reputation perfectly…" he snickered, still approaching them. "I know well of your feats against the apparitions. The plots you stopped…the demons you've killed…the techniques you've inherited and developed… and your foolish loyalties."

Mamoru managed to stagger to his feet, still gasping for breath. Kisho glanced back at him with distaste, then turned back to the Master.

"In all honesty, your training held only little interest in me. I'm here for one thing: your life." he stopped a few feet away, with a grin on his face. "But, if you don't want your precious little students-to-be getting in the way, I'm sure we can handle that…"

He spun his staff around and struck out. The pole extended at a hyper-fast speed, catching Sakura on her right shoulder. The girl let out a cry as the sharp barb at the end pierced her shoulder about an inch deep, the force flinging her back.

"Sakura!" Mamoru exclaimed, but he didn't have time to react before the other side of the staff plunged into his stomach, hurling back the other direction.

"Mamoru, stay down!" Yusuke shouted, plunging forward in his attack.

Kisho looked up just as the old Master's punch connected with his head. He couldn't get his defenses up quite fast enough, and was knocked off-balance. The next spirit-backed kick sent him flying, cracking a tree in half.

The demon pulled himself up, spitting some blood out of his cut lip. "Hm…Not bad…"

"Woah, Gramps…" Mamoru blinked in surprise. "He's really getting serious now…"

Sakura hurried over and knelt beside him, checking his wounds calmly. "Mamoru-san…" she said quietly. "Have you ever seen a demon before?"

"Once." the boy allowed. "About five years ago…just after Gramps started training me…I wandered off and got ambushed by this huge demon. It nearly killed me…then Gramps showed up and saved my butt. He threw that demon around so hard he didn't know what hit him."

Sakura turned her eyes back to the fight. "Is the Master really that strong?"

"Oh, yeah." Mamoru nodded. "If he can't beat this thing, no one can."

Yusuke leaned back in his assault, hands ready in a battle stance. He gave the demon a coy look, a slight grin on his lips.

Kisho glared at him, raising his staff high in the air and spinning it quickly. "You may be powerful, old man." he sneared. "But that strength will do you no good against me!"

"Oh, really?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "I'm shaking in my boots."

"You won't even be able to do that!" Kisho roared, and lunged forward.

Yusuke blocked as he came down with his staff, allowing himself to be pushed backwards just a bit under the rapid assault. The two combatants slid backwards, then began rotating slightly, the old man the central radius.

"This'll be a synch." Mamoru clinched his fists. "Gramps can beat anybody!"

"Mm-hm…" Sakura muttered, sounding distracted.

Mamoru glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Sakura's green eyes looked serious, calculating, and were looking at the ground rather than the fighters, as though watching their footwork. "It's strange…" she murmured, "Why is the monk dragging his staff? Surly that slows him down…"

"Huh?" Mamoru turned back to the fight, looking at the ground. She was right, Kisho was dragging the end of his staff in the dirt as he moved slowly around Yusuke, a cloud of dust raising in his wake.

The demon suddenly grinned, pushing off to leap away from the Master. Yusuke smirked, brushing back his bangs. "What's the matter? Getting tired already?"

Kisho started in a low chuckle, which quickly raised to a loud, cackling laugh. Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "What's your problem?"

"You're a fool, old man." Kisho laughed. "So busy showing off to your little pupils that you didn't even notice the trap!"

"What…?"

Kisho struck the ground hard with his staff. The drag trail spiral around Yusuke suddenly glowed bright red, energy shooting upwards out of it. Yusuke let out a gasp and was suddenly pulled to his knees, his whole body freezing up in a crouch.

"Gramps!" Mamoru exclaimed.

"Sensei!" Sakura gasped.

Kisho laughed again, louder this time. "No mortal could possibly get out of THAT spell!" he cackled. "You won't move an inch, not until I release you! But first…" his cold blue eyes turned to look in the direction of the two teens. "…I think I'll take care of the students first."

Yusuke growled.

Mamoru took a step back, eyes narrowing. "Sakura…" he whispered. "We're gonna have to take him together. You ready?"

"…Yes." the girl whispered, pulling her whip taunt in her hands.

"Okay…go!"

Mamoru shot off to the right, and Sakura dashed to the left. Kisho stood still, smirking, and turned slightly to follow Mamoru.

The boy slid to a stop and lunged forward, pushing his spirit energy behind a strong right upper cut. Kisho blocked it easily, a lower left to the gut bringing the boy to his knees.

There was a cracking noise and Sakura suddenly leapt up from behind him, her whip snapping forwards. The smirk only widened as the demon spun around, the whip wrapping around his staff.

"Don't be a fool, girl!" he laughed. "One technique can't solve everything!"

With that, he gave the vine a furious yank backwards. It pulled the girl clean off he feet and over his head, flinging her head-first across the field, sliding to a stop just behind a partially-ruined tree. The whip came loose and landed far from her reach.

"Sakura!" Mamoru gasped, pulling himself to his feet.

Kisho spun around and grabbed him by the collar. "Don't worry, boy." he sneared. "I'll take care of her soon enough…"

Sakura shrank hesitantly back against the tree, shaking a bit as she pulled her knees up close. She could hear the noises of their fight behind her…and couldn't help but feel utterly helpless. Her only technique was useless…Mamoru was getting beaten up… The Master was trapped, unable to move…

"There's got to be something I can do…" she shivered, a single tear escaping her eyes. "Mamoru-san…Sensei.…"

Flashes of memory glimmered past her. The loving, smiling face…The flowers and plants…gentle words of kindness and advice…

"Grandpa…" she croaked, hearing Mamoru cry out behind her. "I need you… Grandpa…"

A familiar feeling suddenly registered in her mind. Her head shot up with a short gasp, suddenly finding herself eye-to-golden-eye with the large, silver fox. It nudged up against her hand, looking up at her with determination.

"You again." she whispered. "But…what?"

The fox bumped her hand a few times, and she opened it hesitantly. The fox dropped something into the outstretched palm…a small brown seed, shaped like a teardrop, a small red line rounding its middle.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "I don't understand."

The fox sat back on its hind legs, pulling its tails…yes, tails plural, there were five of them…around to reach into one with its teeth. It reached in and pulled out a blooming red rose, brandishing it in Sakura's direction. Then it disappeared, dashing away.

The information clicked after a moment. "Use the seed like I used the rose." Sakura muttered, shifting the small seed into her grip. She peaked around the trunk of the tree, just in time to see Mamoru go flying once again. "Okay…think…how did I do it?"

The focused on the seed, remembering the Rose Whip she had created. The second time, especially, when it had been easy for her to control. An extension of my arm…and extension of my arm…

Kisho laughed a bit, glaring at Mamoru in arrogance as the boy struggled to pull himself to his feet. "Fool." he snickered. "Did you honestly think a wimp like you could beat me? You're pathetic…"

He started towards the boy threateningly. Mamoru slid back, bracing himself in battle-ready position. "I'll take care of you, first." Kisho laughed. "And then I'll get rid of your little girlfriend, and then…"

He suddenly stopped walking. A look of confusion spread across his face and he looked down. His eyes widened. "What the…?"

"Sakura…" Mamoru gaped.

The girl was still standing twenty feet from the demon, her hand stretched out in front of her and eyes squeezed shut in focus. From her hands was a long, writhing tangle of vines, which had already wound their way around Kisho's legs and were moving up.

"You…You little brat!" Kisho growled, spinning around, his staff raised to strike out again. But just as he turned the vines shot upward, wrapping around the demon-monk's arms and pulling them down taunt. It even yanked the staff out of his hands.

"I-I didn't know she could do that…" Mamoru whispered, eyes wide. The Master just grinned from his frozen spot.

"Mamoru…" Sakura whispered, eyes still closed. "H-Hurry up and beat him…I can't…keep this up…much longer…"

"Right!" Mamoru shot to attention, about to lunged forward and attack. Then something struck him.

_"Wait a sec…My punches don't affect him. Even if he can't move, it's not going to help. So how can I…?"_

A glimmer of silver suddenly caught his attention. He spun around to look for what had caused it, but didn't see it. Instead he spotted the discarded green vine, curled and ready, its sharp thorns obvious in the sun.

_Sakura's whip_…

He lunged forward and grabbed a hold of the long, green rope, ignoring the thorns as they sliced open his hands. He raced to the writhing mound of vines, throwing the cord around Kisho's exposed throat.

"Got'cha now…" he growled, wrapping the rope around his hands for extra leverage. "Any last words?"

"This is…impossible…" Kisho growled. "How could you…?"

"Time's up." Mamoru yanked the vine taunt.

Black blood dripped down the corpse as the vines withered away. Mamoru dropped the whip as it changed back into the rose. He grimaced a bit at the pain of his hand, but he grinned. "We got him."

Sakura nodded as the vine withered away. Then she let out a small moan and dropped to her knees.

"Sakura!" Mamoru gasped, racing forward.

The Master, freed from Kisho's spell, was suddenly beside the girl, and caught her before she feel limp. Mamoru stopped, staring worriedly.

"It's alright." Yusuke nodded to him with a smile. "She's not hurt. Just wore out her energy, that's all…not used to this kind of stuff. She'll recover soon."

He looped his arm through hers and put his other under her knees, sweeping her off the ground 'bridal-style'. "For now, let's just get the both of you back to the house. You both need to recover a bit, now don't you?"

o

Yusuke sighed, glancing over his shoulder, into the house. Keiko was gently wrapping Mamoru's hands in bandages, while Sakura was in a corner of the room, newly-woken. The Master sighed, shutting the screen behind him and crossing to sit in the gaze of a large Buddha statue.

Genkai had always used this room as a meditation area, and, in respect of his old master, he kept up her tradition. He sat on the worn old mat, poured himself a cup of tea, and waited.

After a moment he felt a slight tell-tale disturbance in the room's general feel that told him someone else had entered. There was also the fact that he didn't sense their energy as they entered, which meant they were masking it to keep from being noticed by the others in the house.

Yusuke sighed, setting down his cup and glancing sideways into a shadowed corner. "You sly old fox." he snickered. "You just couldn't help but interfere, could you?"

There was a small rush of wind, then a gentle, familiar chuckle filled his ears. He poured another cup of tea, and it was retrieved by a slender, long-fingered, clawed hand.

"I was expecting a bit more gratitude, Yusuke." a deep voice chuckled, sipping the spicy, green liquid. "After all, it was your flesh and blood as well as mine that was saved."

"Humph." Yusuke had to grin a bit, looking over at the pale-haired figure. "That sounds just like you."

The demon grinned as well, showing sharp canines in the gloom. "It seams, however, that I was not the only one to offer my assistance in the matter…was I, Yusuke?"

Now it was the master's turn to smirk. "Help? No, not me…I held back, after all."

"And allowed yourself to be trapped…All to give the two a chance to defeat the demon on their own." the other brushed back silver hair from gleaming gold eyes. "…With the insane hope that they could do it by themselves."

"We always were a little crazy."

The two figures chuckled slightly, and for a moment there was silence. Then the visitor spoke again.

"I suppose this throws a wrench in your plans for a single successor, doesn't it?"

"With those two in the same tournament? Honestly, what choice did I really have?" Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. "Sooner or later we'll figure out which one of them needs it, but for now…they do seam to make a good team, don't they?"

"Indeed." the cup was set back on the tray, and golden eyes gleamed in quiet amusement. "I must be going…Hiei is waiting, after all."

Yusuke nodded. The light wind came again, and a sliver fox leapt off through the screen door, unseen by the world. He lifted his cup once more, sipping contently.

"This…" he muttered, half to himself. "…Should be most interesting…"

Hope you guys enjoyed the little cameo in there! I told you you'd see him sooner or later!

Yes, I realize Sakura seams a bit weak…but be realistic. The poor girl's never been in a food fight before, let alone something big like this. You can expect her to be more than a little shaken, demonic animal instincts or not.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: As decided in the Reviews, we'll be going by the 'Saga Box Set' plan. The next three missions will be cataloged in a new story, under the name **Blossom: Tantei Saga. **And don't worry…This is gonna be a VERY original story, not just a Yu Yu re-make. Wait'll you meet the other two…snicker

If you want to receive an e-mail when I start it, put you e-mail in your review and I'll send out a general announcement. Ideas for cases welcome! Very welcome! See you then!

GS


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